looking at a boat that might have been used in salt water

[bergoff]

The dealer isn't sure that it has been used in salt water. Its a 4.3 i/o. It looks clean with no rust anywhere. Is there anything that I should look for or watch out for? Thanks

 

[Boats-A-lots]

Re: looking at a boat that might have been used in salt water

I have been using mine is salt water for over 13 yrs. It has a fresh water cooler, so no salt in the motor, but if the boat looks clean, no rust, and runs.. really I don't think it's a problem.

 

[spdracr39]

Re: looking at a boat that might have been used in salt water

Salt water shouldn't matter as long as it was maintained properly. Ask for the maint. records or better yet get a marine survey.

 

[tpenfield]

Re: looking at a boat that might have been used in salt water

You may notice more rust on the engine and related parts with salt water use. The outdrive may be more telling than engine.

Regardless, salt water use will tend to reduce the life of an I/O engine to about 20 years total. If it has been periodic salt combined with fresh water, then no real worries.

An inspection of the exhaust manifold & elbows will tell the story

 

[bergoff]

Re: looking at a boat that might have been used in salt water

Thanks for the replies. I'll take a close look at the exhaust and everything. The outdrive looks nice and clean so we'll see.

 

[04fxdwgi]

Re: looking at a boat that might have been used in salt water

Mine's a saltwater (Florida) boat that's 20 years old with over 1300 hours on the origional drive and engine. The engine purs and the drive looks new. It all depends on the maintenance, me thinks. A freshwater boat will die in a few years if not maintained, also.

 

[JEBar]

Re: looking at a boat that might have been used in salt water

An inspection of the exhaust manifold & elbows will tell the story

a few years ago I learned the value of inspecting the exhaust manifold in a boat used in salt water .... on the outside the manifolds looked good but over heating problems eventually revealed that the inside of the cast iron manifold was badly rusted and flaking .... so much so that it was partly blocking the flow of cooling water flowing through the motor

Jim

 

[GoFastr]

Re: looking at a boat that might have been used in salt water

Salt water use is about the owner. Whether it be fresh or salt ir irrelevant. Either they took care of it or they didn't. The only difference is the after effects. It a saltwater owner took care of it (i.e. flushed motor everytime after each use the "risers" on a V6 or V8 should be fine. This also inbcludes washing out the bilge or washing off the interior if saltwater got introduced into it from swimmers etc. First sign of leck of this is looking at the major hardware for rust. Then look in and around the bilge/motor area for same. If that looks good chances are the "salt" part of it becomes irrelevant. Rust buildup in the riser water flow piping is the biggest problem besides cosmetic issues. Look at everything and let your gut lead the way.....BTW I've run boats from outboards to twin V8 offshore powerboats throughout the years in saltwater. Trust me, you will know.Otherwise saltwater is no big deal outside of owning a steel trailer pretty painted trailer which is of no use other than cosmetics.

 

[swheeler]

Re: looking at a boat that might have been used in salt water

a few years ago I learned the value of inspecting the exhaust manifold in a boat used in salt water .... on the outside the manifolds looked good but over heating problems eventually revealed that the inside of the cast iron manifold was badly rusted and flaking .... so much so that it was partly blocking the flow of cooling water flowing through the motor

Jim

This! Pretty parts don't mean much. Especially with the exhaust system.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: looking at a boat that might have been used in salt water

a few years ago I learned the value of inspecting the exhaust manifold in a boat used in salt water .... on the outside the manifolds looked good but over heating problems eventually revealed that the inside of the cast iron manifold was badly rusted and flaking .... so much so that it was partly blocking the flow of cooling water flowing through the motor

Jim

General rule of thumb is that exhaust manifolds and risers on salt water boats last 5 years and need to be replaced. Just price the replacement into the price you are paying for the boat.

 

[bergoff]

Re: looking at a boat that might have been used in salt water

Thanks for the replies fellas. I'm going to check it over and hear it run this morning. It hasn't been in water since 2010 and its a 2005. So it will also probably need the bellows changed. The wife likes the swim platform and has her heart set on it but the price of the boat and needing the bellows changed if they haven't been done I don't think so. Its a 2005 tahoe q4 4.3. No need to rush anything boating season is almost over.

 

[JoLin]

Re: looking at a boat that might have been used in salt water

Welcom to iboats, konann!

Hewescraft - Sea Runner is the best boat for salt water.
It was probably one of the more popular/prolific brands you'll see around.

Why is a Sea Runner the best boat for salt water? As for them being prolific and popular, I guess that kinda depends on where you live. I never heard of them before now.

 

[tpenfield]

Re: looking at a boat that might have been used in salt water

Is a Sea Runner the best-est in the whole world? I have never heard of them either . . . .

 

[Bondo]

Re: looking at a boat that might have been used in salt water

Ayuh,... Another Spammer bites the dust,..... So long konann!.............

 

[emoney]

Re: looking at a boat that might have been used in salt water

That's a little sad too because I thought I was going to get to learn something.

Bergoff, you're at a little bit of a "tough time" for some dealers as their memories are still fresh with all the business they've recently gotten and they haven't all remembered to change the calender. As far as the "season being almost over" from a buyer's perspective, you need to be thinking it IS over. Sometimes it's tough when the Admiral falls in love with a certain feature, but be strong and don't "over-pay". There's lots of boats out there with swim platforms, lol. Good luck and keep us posted.....with pics, of course.

 

[bergoff]

Re: looking at a boat that might have been used in salt water

There were to many unanswered questions. And it will need the bellows changed and a cover and a prop. If I'm paying top dollar I want that to be all taking care of. We've decided to look at a boat that I can pay cash for. http://rockford.craigslist.org/boa/3236488749.html We're going to look at it after work tonight. Its always been kept in a garage. I'll be taking my compression gauge and a set of muffs.

 

[emoney]

Re: looking at a boat that might have been used in salt water

Pretty boat. Read through a lot of the "Resto" threads in our restoration forum and you'll get a feel for what to look for in an older boat. You want to know that the transom, deck and stringers are all dry. By dry, I mean 100% dry, not "damp" or "only a little wet". That all spells rot and you do NOT want to be spending this type money on something that needs a rebuild. Make sure that you sea-trial the boat and don't trust a "muff test" as you need to get a load on the boat to know if there's any issues.

I looked through your Craigslist and it reminded me that we're pretty spoiled down here in the "land of boating". I bet you could look at 50 boats this weekend in your price range down here of all shapes & sizes. Not as many up there I see. Still, we're nearing the "end" of the season so be selective and don't let this long weekend influence your decision making. It would be a LOT cheaper to rent a boat for this Labor Day holiday than to buy one that isn't worth it. Good luck and we'll need plenty of pics, don't forget!!!

 

[aspeck]

Re: looking at a boat that might have been used in salt water

I don't see a swim platform on the Starcraft!

Good looking boat and probably worth the money, but this time of year, you should be able to negotiate. As already said, just make sure everything is solid.

 

[bergoff]

Re: looking at a boat that might have been used in salt water

Its tough finding a good used boat. We've been looking on craigslist for a few months and haven't been able to find anything. And then since we decided to look for an o/b ski boat that's in good shape it gets tougher. I'll be sure to post pics if I bring it home.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: looking at a boat that might have been used in salt water

Its tough finding a good used boat. We've been looking on craigslist for a few months and haven't been able to find anything. And then since we decided to look for an o/b ski boat that's in good shape it gets tougher. I'll be sure to post pics if I bring it home.

In a boating community, people tend to hang on to a good boat, and sell/trade the bad ones, which makes the used market full of many "bad" ones and few "good" ones.
One reason is that a good boat will last 20 years without deterioration, so no need to replace, and then when the owner wants something different or cleaner, may as well keep the old one for a second. Can't have too many boats. Or, the good ones get sold word of mouth, sign at the marina, etc and never make it to the general market. People also repower good old boats rather than sell and upgrade. The few "good" boats that come on the market are from someone who wants something different, usually bigger, when there's nothing wrong with the old one.
In a rural area, just like cars, they keep them all because storage space is not an issue.

Meanwhile, those who bought a "bad" boat and find it either (a) isn't designed well for their boating use or (b) doesn't hold up over time and starts looking bad/falling apart after a few years. They may find they should have bought an outboard, not an i/o. So they put them up for sale. They're cheap, they're plentiful, but the smart boater knows why.

In a non-boating community (say a city that is an hour or more from the water) people tend to have only one boat at a time, and may have one for a couple years, then not have a boat at all for a couple years, so there's a bigger turnover of boats in varying types and conditions. With lack of boating knowledge they are more likely to buy a boat that has razzle dazzle on the show room or ads but doesn't measure up once it's splashed.